Palmer's Break in
by whynotlive
Summary: I'm a new writer here so please R&R!  Palmer's apartment has a break-in and a mysterious problem arises. Can the team find Palmer in one piece? Rated T for just in case
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters**

**~Please R&R I'm a new author! I thought Palmer should have more roles in NCIS, so that's why he's our main character!~**

**Chapter One**

Palmer woke up on the floor of his apartment. He sat up, dazed and confused at the situation. His apartment had been trashed; all his belongings were on the floor. The door to his apartment was still slightly open, and a huge gash to the side of his head confirmed that someone had knocked him out last night. Sitting up, he groaned at the headache piercing his ears. He felt like he had a hangover, but he remembered he hadn't been drinking last night. Abby had wanted him to come to a bar with her, but he was tired and wanted to stay home. He thought back to her pouting her lips, but accepting his rejection. Jimmy stood up, retrieving his cell phone from his coffee table. The phone had been placed there by whoever attacked him; Jimmy had been sure to keep his phone in his pocket in case Abby called again. The phone was off, and a bit bruised.

_It probably fell out of my pocket when I was attacked._

Palmer thought, embarrassed. Jimmy was never the strong type; in fact, he could barely lift ten pounds. Tony would occasionally make fun of him, but he was mostly in the background. Luckily, Abby would always be there to offer him some company for lunch or talk to him on break. She could be a little intimidating, but he knew she cared for him. Suddenly, overcome by dizziness, he sat down and closed his eyes. His phone beeped, confirming that he was late. Dr. Mallard had called him twice, and Abby had called once.

_Oh man!_

Once again embarrassed, Palmer quickly changed clothes and headed to work. He was going to report the break in right after he got home, for now he had to get to work. Dr. Mallard had been stern with him lately, his patience wearing thin on the young assistant. After a short drive, Jimmy hurried into the elevator to get to work. He treaded softly down to autopsy, his headache still booming. Ducky didn't turn his head when Palmer entered.

"Mr. Palmer, you're late."

Ducky snapped. Jimmy looked at the floor and apologized sheepishly. Jimmy turned around and put on his scrubs, readying to finish the autopsy they had started last night. Ducky meet him at the table, and finally looked up into Palmer's eyes.

"Good God Jimmy, what happened to you?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, my apartment had a break in."

"And you were inside? Did you call the police? That head wound needs stiches, my boy!"

Jimmy looked at the ground.

"Well, no, I was going to call the police right after work. My heads okay, it doesn't hurt that bad."

Palmer lied. He hadn't realized how pale he was and what dark circles were under his eyes. He had barely cleaned his head wound before coming to work, and it started bleeding again. Ducky sat him down and looked at his head.

"Why didn't you call Jimmy? You could've been in danger!"

"What's going on Duck?"

Gibbs entered the room strongly, raising an eyebrow at Palmer.

"Jeez, what happened to you?"

Jimmy relayed his story about the break-in, and Gibbs didn't look happy.

"You didn't call anyone? You should've gotten some help Palmer."

Gibbs replied. Palmer once again apologized and Ducky recommended he stay home today.

"No, Doctor, I'm fine!"

"Jimmy, go home. Call the police, clean up your apartment. Get some rest."

Jimmy nodded and stood up to get his jacket. After avoiding a few dizzy spells, he made it to the elevator. He dodged Abby's lab, not wanting to worry her. He wasn't in that much pain and there was no reason to rile everyone up. It had been a simple break-in, nothing more. Luckily, Gibbs and his team had been called out on a mission, and the billpen was empty. Palmer headed home, only to be greeted by his door, once again, ajar. Avoiding the pit in his stomach, Palmer entered the apartment.

_Crack!_

Someone, behind him, smacked Jimmy with the butt of a gun. He tried to reach for his phone, but couldn't and was soon enveloped with darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please Review (:**

**Chapter Two**

Abby was getting restless. When Gibbs told her about Palmer's break-in, she had called Jimmy. Twice. And twice, she got his voicemail. She paced around her lab, sipping a Caf-Pow and wondering what to do. Gibbs silently walked in and called over her loud music.

"Abbs?"

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!"

Abby cried, hoping up and down. He turned her music down, and she worriedly twisted her pigtails.

"What's wrong Abbs?"

Gibbs placed another Caf-Pow on her desk. She ignored him and showed him her phone.

"I've called Jimmy _twice _Gibbs! Twice! He isn't picking up!"

She slumped into her chair and Gibbs stayed quiet. His gut told him Abby was serious, and she wouldn't let up until someone checked on him.

"Okay, okay, Tony and Ziva will go check on him."

"Yay! Thanks Gibbs!"

Gibbs kissed Abby's forehead and went back up to the bullpen. McGee and Ziva were typing away on their computers, but Tony was nowhere to be scene. Gibbs cleared his throat and Ziva looked up at him.

"Where's DiNozzo?"

"Coffee run, Boss."

McGee chimed in. Annoyed, Gibbs told McGee to head out with Ziva instead.

"Yes Gibbs, where to?"

"Palmer's apartment. Abby wants someone to check on him."

"Got it Boss."

They headed out; glad their day of paperwork was interrupted.

Ziva and McGee knocked on Palmer's door. The door creaked open easily; it had not been locked. The teammates nodded to each other and took out their guns.

"Federal Agents!"

McGee called as they entered the apartment. Ziva spotted Palmer on the ground, bleeding and unconscious. McGee cleared the rest of the house and Ziva called in an ambulance.

"Huh? Ziva?"

Palmer's eyes opened wide with confusion.

"Palmer, you were attacked."

Ziva stated, noting all the injuries. He had more than a few bruises and the stiches in his head were reopened. Jimmy sat up, cleaning off his glasses.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

He said in a daze. Ziva studied him, seeing his embarrassment.

"No, Palmer, you are not. I have called an ambulance."

"What? No, I'm fine, I don't need an ambulance."

Palmer stood up, demonstrating his lack of injuries. Once again, he was filled with dizziness and had to sit back down. McGee kneeled next to him.

"Any idea who did this Palmer?"

"Look, it was just a break in."

"If so, why did the assailant come back? Usually they steal and run, not steal, run, and come back."

Ziva asked, knowing Palmer had no answer.

"I don't know I got hit from behind once I walked in and from there I got nothing."

Jimmy groaned. He didn't want to be in this situation. A knock at the door revealed two ambulance workers, who immediately poked and prodded Jimmy.

"Hey, hey I'm fine!"

Jimmy pushed the men away and stood up again, leaning on a wall for support. McGee backed away, already dialing Gibbs on his phone. Palmer was busy with the ambulance workers and Ziva, so he didn't notice McGee stepping out of the room.

"Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss, we found Palmer."

"Okay and how is he?"

McGee could picture Gibbs on the other end of the line, looking angry.

"We found him unconscious, Gibbs. He got attacked from behind; he's with some ambulance workers now."

"Bring him back here after he's done with the workers."

Gibbs says, ending the call. He knew Abby wasn't going to like this, but he had to tell her. Gathering Ducky and Abby in the lab, Gibbs filled them in.

"Is he okay?"

Abby cried, terrified for Palmer. Ducky was quiet, thinking hard for suspects, but came up empty.

"Yea Abbs, he was with Ziva and some paramedics when McGee called. Any idea who would do this Duck?"

"No, Gibbs, Jimmy hasn't had anything like this happen before."

Tony stepped into the lab with two coffees. He handed one to Gibbs, eyeing Abby.

"What's going on? Where are McGee and Ziver?"

"At Jimmy's apartment! Palmer got attacked!"

Abby gulped.

"Let's go dust for prints, right Boss?"

Tony was already almost out the door. Gibbs followed him and they entered the elevator. Hitting the emergency switch, Tony paused.

"You really think someone attacked him, Boss?"

"Well, yeah DiNozzo, unless he beat himself up."

Gibbs flipped the switch and the elevator moved again. Something was definitely going on here, and Palmer better give up all the details of the attacks. Gibbs and Tony knew Palmer would try to brush this off, but they weren't going to let it happen.

**Please keep rating! **

**I'll try to keep writing soon, but hey, it's Easter! This one's going to be touch on Palmer!**

**Alyssa **


	3. Chapter 3

**~Yay! Still on spring break! One more week of non-stop writing! Hope you like the new chapter! Keep reviewing please!~**

**Chapter Three**

Palmer's apartment had been taken over by NCIS agents. They carefully photographed each inch of the apartment, hoping for some kind of clue. Unable to find fingerprints, Gibbs took Jimmy back to NCIS to talk about what he remembered. Now Jimmy was sitting in the conference room, fidgeting nervously as he waited to be questioned. Palmer had been hoping he wouldn't have to deal with this for a while, but it was clear the team wasn't about to give this up. Gibbs entered the room quietly, setting down a coffee for Palmer.

"No sugar."

He stated when Palmer was about to ask. Gibbs knew more about his team than he lead on, even noting the small things that no one else really noticed, like Jimmy's diabetes. Palmer took the coffee gratefully and gulped as Gibbs sat down in front of him.

"What happened? Start from the top."

Gibbs stated watching Palmer's nervous eyes wandering about the room.

"Okay, uh, I don't remember too much but, uh, yesterday, when I got home from work at about twelve-ish, I noticed the door to my apartment was a little open. When I walked in I noticed everything on the ground, and stuff, so I figured it was just a simple robbery."

Palmer grimaced.

"But, when I looked around nothing worth money seemed to be taken. Not even the gold watch my mom gave me for Christmas. After I walked in and closed the door someone hit me over the head. I didn't think anyone was still in there, and all they did was knock me unconscious."

"Palmer when you woke up you were covered in bruises. After you were unconscious, they beat you."

Jimmy looked at the ground a minute, knowing the truth. He looked up and realized Gibbs was still waiting for him to continue.

"Once I woke up I saw I was late for work so I just got ready and came here. And, once Dr. Mallard sent me home, I saw my door was a little open again. I just figured I hadn't locked it right, or the robber had messed up the door so it couldn't lock again. When I walked in the person hit me over the head again, probably with the same object, from the same spot."

Gibbs watched Palmer a second, looking up at his head wounds. He noticed they were consistent with someone getting hit with the butt of a gun, but didn't mention it, not wanting Palmer to be scared. Gibbs was furious, beyond pissed, and had to stop himself from storming out of the room and punching a wall. He thanked Palmer and opened the door.

"Don't leave the building."

He stated and Palmer nodded. He wasn't sure if the person would come back, and NCIS was the safest place to be.

_Was this attack personal or against the agency?_

Gibbs couldn't help but wonder. From what he knew, Palmer had no past attackers, but decided to run a check just in case.

Gibbs walked into the bullpen and turned to hear the recognizable elevator ding. Ziva, McGee, and Tony all stepped out, looking defeated. Their boss instantly knew they had nothing.

"McGee, run a check on Jimmy's background, see if there were any previous incidences. Ziva, go talk to Palmer and see if he can think of anyone or anything suspicious lately. Tony, go to his school and talk to the other students. See if anyone has any grudges against him."

A chorus of "Yes Boss" echoed in the room and Gibbs sat back at his desk. He knew this was going to be a tough one, but in the end, his team was the best. They would catch this guy.

"Boss, Palmer has one previous report with the police. Same as this, apartment trashed, nothing stolen, Palmer knocked unconscious. Happened about a year ago, but he moved right after it happened. It never happened again. Maybe the guy lost track of Palmer for a while."

"Maybe."

Gibbs stood up and walked over to the elevator. He needed to go see Palmer. He entered Abby's lab, holding a Caf-Pow, he stood in the doorway, watching her as she kept Palmer company while Ziva tried coaxing any new details out from him. Abby's music was low, so everyone could talk, but Gibbs was still quiet enough to walk in undetected. Placing the Caf-Pow on Abby's desk, he turned to face Jimmy.

"You had another attack, about a year before this?"

Palmer looked up at Gibbs, trying not to turn red.

"Uh, yea, but the guy never came back. Not before this. I mean, if this was the same person."

"Well you moved, so he could've just lost track of you."

"I'm not very hard to find though. I still go to the same school with the same schedule. If the guy really wanted to find me, why didn't he just wait on my campus and follow me back to my new apartment?"

Gibbs didn't have an answer. Just as Abby turned to say something, there was a loud clang and a small canister fell into the room. The room filled with smoke as each person slowly lost consciousness. A figure stood in the doorway, watching as Gibbs tried standing up, and laughed. Gibbs growled at the figure, but it was no use. The last image he had was of the figure dragging Palmer out of the room and Jimmy's pleading eyes closing as he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Gibbs tried to open his eyes, unable to remember how long they'd been closed. He forced himself to sit up, trying to think back to what had happened. In a flash of memory, he reached out next to him, and to his relief, Abby was still sitting in the computer chair she had been, moments before the attack. He turned and saw Ziva, who was starting to stir as well. He tried to stand, only to feel soreness, but was overall fine. No one had any visible injures, and he leaned against Abby's computer desk as he gently shook her shoulders.

"Abbs? Abbs, you okay?"

Abby gently murmured, and opened her eyes. She had a look of confusion at first, and then her eyes switched to a worried glance as she looked around.

"P-Palmer? Where's Jimmy?"

Gibbs shook his head.

"Gone. Someone took him. And I'm going to find out who."

Ziva groaned, and in moments she was standing up, her Mossad training setting in.

"Abbs, go see Ducky, make sure you're all right."

Abby looked up, shaking her head.

"What? No, I have to help Jimmy!"

"Go. That's and order."

Abby scowled and got up to see Ducky. Gibbs reminded himself she wasn't an agent and had never been exposed to this kind of thing. It was important Ducky made sure she was okay, and then she could get back to work. Ziva was putting on evidence gloves and began bagging the small canister that had been left behind. She set it on Abby's desk, knowing she'd check it for prints when she got back.

"Hey Gibbs, I think I got something! Hey Ziver, what happened to you guys? You like, disappeared! And where's Palmer?"

DiNozzo walked in smiling with his usual goofy grin, which soon changed to worry.

"Kidnapped. We were all here when someone threw in a canister of gas and we were rendered unconscious. Palmer was dragged out afterwards."

"What? How the hell did a man, who doesn't work here, walk in with a canister of _gas_ and walk out with a _body_? Unnoticed?"

"I do not know."

Ziva responded, he voice just above a whisper. Gibbs was thinking a mile a minute.

"DiNozzo, check the security tapes. All of them. Ziva, you look for any evidence this guy left behind in here. What did you say before, DiNozzo?"

"I said I found something Boss! One of Palmer's old classmates, someone by the name of Ben Henderson, was arrested a few times for harassing Jimmy. The guy got sent to jail for a third DUI right after the first attack on Palmer. And guess who just got paroled?"

"He went from harassing to _kidnapping _in one year?"

Ziva asked, a suspicious look on her face.

"There's more behind this story. Tony, take Ziva and find this guy. Now. I want him in interrogation in an hour. McGee can check the tapes."

Gibbs stormed off, hoping McGee had something else he could use. Palmer was still missing, and they only had one lead to find him.

* * *

><p>"Ducky?"<p>

Abby had a headache and was not in the mood to lose time over a checkup.

"Ah, Abigail, how are you? Have you seen Mr. Palmer?"

"We were all in the lab when…When someone threw in this little canister full of gas. We all fell unconscious and they took Jimmy. They took him Ducky; they took him right from under our noses!"

Abby was crying now, her mascara streaming down her face. Ducky clenched his jaw and put his arm on Abby's shoulder.

"Now, now Abigail, Jimmy isn't as defenseless as one thinks. He can take care of himself until we find him. Here, let me make sure you're all right."

Ducky was deep in thought as he checked out Abby's head and shined a tiny light in her eyes.

"I'd like to see Gibbs and Ziva to check them out as well, but I doubt they'd let me. I'm sure you made quite a ruckus before surrendering to Gibbs and seeing me."

Ducky laughed, but barely felt it. He was confident in Palmer as a young ME, but he was no agent. Abby swung her legs off the table where Ducky was examining her and she stood up. She was going to fix this. She was going to find Palmer, and he was going to be safe, and everything was going to be okay.

"Abby, let me remind you that this wasn't your fault. You are the type to bear other people's burdens' and you do not deserve it."

Abby nodded and was out the door in a flash. She loved how much Ducky knew about her, but still felt a deep sense of guilt as she found her way back to the lab. She repeated the words he had spoken in her head, but didn't quite believe them.

* * *

><p>"McGee, did you finish checking those tapes yet?"<p>

Gibbs was less patient than usual, and McGee was struggling to find the man in the crowd.

"Well, Boss, I think he got into the building as a janitor, and uh, he snuck out as an ME's assistant. I think he stuck Palmer in a body bag and after he was alone, he put him in his truck and drove away."

"You _think _McGee?"

"Sorry Boss, I _know _that's what happened. I'm running our mystery janitor slash ME's assistant's face through the system as we speak."

McGee watched the plasma for a second, his eyes trained on the man who kidnapped Palmer.

_Jimmy's just a kid; he's not even an agent. Why would anyone hurt him? He's as harmless as a fly!_

"No need to run the face, that's Ben Henderson. He's already in interrogation. Tony and Ziva brought him in already."

Gibbs said as he turned and entered the elevator, hoping Abby had something on the canister left in her lab. Before the elevator even stopped he could hear music flowing from her lab. And by flowing, he meant screeching. He covered his ears and stepped into the lab room. Abby was hugging Bert, her hippo stuffed animal, and let him make his signature noise.

"Abbs!"

The music was so loud she still couldn't hear him. Reaching over he flipped the off switch on her stereo. For once, she didn't protest. She didn't even turn around.

"Abbs? Hey Abbs, you okay?"

Gibbs put a hand on Abby's shoulder and she jumped.

"Oh, Gibbs! There were no fingerprints on the canister, but I found out what the gas is. It's like a waaay stronger laughing gas. You know, like at the dentist? And it's only sold at specific doctor supply offices. It wasn't even for sale, actually. It was an experiment they were doing to improve it, but it came out way to strong. Like super strong. They were about to dump it, but before they could it was stolen. Here's the police report."

Abby handed him a thin file and turned back to her computer. Gibbs could see three Caf-Pow's in the garbage and two more sitting on her desk.

"Abby, lay off the Caf-Pow, how many have you had anyway?"

"Huh? Only five. Or six. Seven at most. I don't really remember, I lost count after I found that file. Seriously Gibbs, did Tony or Ziva come back yet?"

"They came back and dropped off Ben Henderson, some guy who might have a grudge against Jimmy, but went back to his house to look for more clues. And calm down, you need some rest. Go home for a while Abby."

"_Go HOME? _Gibbs! How could I possible go _home_ when poor Palmer is out somewhere, cold and hurt and terrified? I need to stay!"

"Abby."

Gibbs used his most father-like voice as he quieted his "daughter".

"Take a breath. Relax. I don't even have any more evidence to process. McGee has the videos handled and there's really no more work you have to do."

Gibbs hugged Abby and she looked up at him before surrendering.

"Okay, I guess staying here all night isn't going to help Palmer any more than me going home for a nap…"

Gibbs smiled and kissed her forehead.

"And no more Caf-Pow tonight!"

He called out as he left. Abby smiled and started shutting down all her babies. Heading upstairs, Gibbs walked into interrogation. Ben Henderson sat there, a dazed look in his eyes, and smiled. Gibbs had left him waiting there for about two hours.

"Hello Special Agent…?"

"Gibbs."

Gibbs growled at the relaxed man. Henderson didn't get nervous like normal perps did. He took his seat and looked at Ben.

"Where. Is. Palmer."

"Oh, I'm sorry; it seems we aren't on the same page. Who is Palmer?"

Gibbs slammed his fists down onto the table earning him a momentary look of fear from the man sitting across from him.

"Liar! We found the reports of you harassing Palmer when you were both starting out in college. Where _is _he?"

The man smiled sickly.

"Oh yes, Jimmy. Poor little Jimmy. Thought he was so smart didn't he? Well, look where it got him. So sad, Mr. Gibbs, it really is, but I assure you I have not been in contact with your friend for quite some time."

Gibbs flung the man out of his chair. He smashed him against the cold walls of interrogation.

"Why?"

Gibbs snarled. Henderson laughed again.

"All right, all right. Started out about a year ago, I believe. Jimmy and I were classmates, a couple of kids, but one day we all decided to go out. It was after finals I believe, and my girlfriend, Jessica, was standing next to me. We were all drunk, having a good time. I got a little- _handsy _I suppose. Jessica wasn't happy and Palmer stood up for her. Offered to take her home, away from me. Of course little Jimmy had barely even had a beer so he was good to drive and he took her. Never heard from Jessica again."

"This was all about some COLLEGE CHICK a year ago? You KIDNAPPED someone over an EX-GIRLFRIEND?"

Henderson laughed. He turned serious and closed his eyes.

"You wouldn't get it old man. I loved her and we were going to get married. We were perfect together. But stupid little Jimmy screwed it up. I dropped out of school, spent every day calling her. I was drunk twenty four seven! But after she wouldn't take me back, I fixed it. Fixed it so she'd never do anything again. I was going out after Jimmy, but I got another stupid DUI. I got stuck in jail, and realized what I had to do next. I was going to fix Jimmy like I fixed Jessica. But slower, of course. After all, it's all his fault, isn't it?"

Gibbs stormed out, letting the man hit the floor as he slid down from the wall he had been held up to.

"McGee! Check for any Jessica's in Henderson's past!"

"Jessica? I came across a Jessica a few hours ago. She was Henderson's ex and went missing a while before he went to jail, and… Wait a second Boss, you think he killed her?"

"I know he did."

Gibbs said, quietly. He could see McGee's eye's flicker to more worry.

"Find something. Now."

McGee's hands flew across the keyboard.

"Okay, Ziva and Tony investigated his house when they caught him, he doesn't have any family nearby, but what's this? There's a small abandoned house a little outside of town. Cops caught him there smoking a few times."

"Let's go."

Gibbs yelled, hoping he had caught a break. Tony and Ziva were still back at Henderson's house processing it, so it was up to him and Probie now. Let's hope they can handle this…

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about not having much of Palmer in this chapter! We'll hear more from him in the next one! Hope you guys like the story so far! Keep on reviewing! (: <strong>

**Alyssa :D **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Palmer clutched the broken memories as if they were his last. They might be just that, his last, but he refused to think of it that way. He had fallen in and out of consciousness after being taken and small moments would flash by him. Being dragged away from Abby's lab. Being stuck in a body bag. Being thrown in a trunk. And now, he was here. In a freezing room, a basement perhaps, where there was almost no light. Jimmy felt the coldness everywhere, but tried to get up anyway. He was handcuffed to a chair, his legs tied down and his chest was rope burned thanks to some tightly wounded rope coils that snaked all around him. Moving his eyes slowly across the room, his eyes adjusted and he figured out where he was. He was definitely in a basement, a very old, possibly abandoned, basement. His captor was gone, leaving him alone and confused. Palmer shivered as he noticed a small broken window to the left of him. He could just see out the top of it, noting the snow covering the grass.

_When did it snow?_

It had been fairly warm for a December day when Palmer had been kidnapped. That meant he had been unconscious for a while now. Testing the ropes, he discovered even a small movement forced the ropes to stricken tighter around him. Perfectly still, in the cold and dark basement, Palmer started to cry. He cried for his parents, his friends, and for himself. He was too young for this, for such a devastating thing. He should be out with a girl on a date, not tied to a chair about to die.

_What would Gibbs do?_

Palmer wondered. He would've been more prepared. He would've had a knife. That was a rule wasn't it? Rule nine, never go anywhere without a knife.

_Too late now._

Jimmy thought. Suddenly, a small thought came into his mind. He remembered being with Ducky, and grabbing a scalpel to start an autopsy when Ziva came in to ask him some questions. He remembered leaving, but not putting the scalpel away. Taking a deep breath, he plunged his hand into his pocket, which wasn't easy considering all the squirming he had to do to get his hand close enough to reach it. The silver handcuffs he had on dug into his wrists as he fished his hand around, hoping for a miracle.

"Ow!"

He yelped, almost yanking his hand away. He cut himself on the scalpel, but if he made any movements, his hand would slip away from his only possible way to survive, and he would have to start the process all over again. Gripping the small metal object, he rhythmically moved it back and forth across one of the pieces of rope holding his chest to the back of the chair. It snapped, giving him hope. But then he remembered all the other large sections of rope he had to cut. Trying to change positions, he started on another piece of rope.

_This is going to suck._

* * *

><p>Gibbs was driving at least twenty miles over the speed limit. DiNozzo was gripping the dashboard, McGee had his eyes closed, and Ziva was staring daggers at the road in front of them. Before they knew it, they reached the small building that Henderson had used. It was white with a large wrap around porch, now covered in vines and dirt. The paint had peeled, the wood had rotted, and the roof had slightly caved in. The snow covering the ground crunched a bit as they stepped on it. Gibbs, for once, didn't have to kick down a door. The front door was actually just a piece of rotted wood, and had fallen off its hinges long before they came. Each team member carefully stepped on the wood porch before deeming it safe enough and the soon entered the house.<p>

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

Each team member called. Gibbs walked over to the basement door and pushed it to the side. It was pitch black down there and even colder than it was up in the house. Testing each step as he walked down the staircase into the dark, he heard a whimper.

"Palmer? Jimmy?"

Gibbs called.

* * *

><p><strong>~Palmer's Point of View: Moments before Gibbs arrived~<strong>

He heard voices above him as he cut the last of his ropes. His body was bruised and he was sure he had several broken bones. He tried not to focus on the burning pain in his head as he tried forming some type of a plan. After all, he had made it this far. After he had freed his back he was able to stand, but then he had to free his legs. The handcuffs were still slicing through his wrists as he shuffled himself backwards, his ankles still tightly tied. He smashed the chair against the back of a wall, breaking it into small pieces. The rope around his ankles slacked and fell off as he tried to clear his head. He could still hear people taking. How many were there? Two? Three? After some silence he realized it was four people, all moving around the house. His mind fuzzy, he jumped behind the stairs and held his scalpel tightly. It was his only protection, even against four people, who probably had guns and knives of their own. And who weren't wearing handcuffs.

_It's not like I could even hurt them! I can't even stab them with the scalpel because my hands are STILL behind my back! Damn handcuffs!_

Someone called his name from above him, and he tried to stay quiet. He let out a small whimper of fear before blacking out; hoping when he woke up this would all be over.

* * *

><p><strong>~Back to Gibb's POV~<strong>

"Jimmy!"

Gibbs eye's finally adjusted as he squinted in the dark. He saw a chair, broken in many pieces, but other than that the room was empty. Turning around, he spotted a small figure, cowering behind the stairs.

"ZIVA! Get the EMT's we put on stand-by!"

He called, hearing Ziva's boots hitting the floor as she ran to get help. Inching over to Jimmy, he watched his movements. His chest rose and fell, but his eyes were closed. Touching him gently, he called him out of unconsciousness.

"Palmer? Palmer the EMT's are coming, just hold on. Can you hear me?"

Groaning in response, Jimmy turned away a little. Gibbs, catching the sight of the glistening handcuffs, realized what Jimmy was trying to say. Grabbing a paperclip he had, he tried picking the lock to it. He heard Ziva running down the stairs and moving closer.

"Gibbs, move over, I can use my bobby pin."

Taking something out of her hair, she easily picked the handcuff lock and freed Palmer. Suddenly, an EMT stopped at the top of the stairs.

"What the hell are you doing? Get down here!"

Gibbs screamed.

"The stairs! They're-"

The man was cut off by the sound of wood hitting the floor. Dragging Palmer and Ziva out of the way, the stairs collapsed, leaving them stranded. Soon after the avalanche stopped, he heard McGee and Tony calling their names.

"Boss? Boss you okay?"

The dust settled as McGee, being the boy scout that he is, pulled out a flashlight.

"Yea, find me a ladder; we gotta get Palmer outta here."

McGee handed the flashlight to Tony and disappeared, in search of a way to get them out of the basement. Ziva pulled her jacket off her shoulders.

"Ziva, what are you doing?"

"He is cold Gibbs."

Placing the jacket around Palmer's body, Gibbs smiled at Ziva. After seeing Jimmy shiver more, Gibbs gave him his jacket as well.

"S-Sorry G-Gib-Gibbs."

Jimmy stuttered out.

"No need to be sorry Palmer, you didn't kidnap yourself.

"M-My f-fa-fault th-though."

Jimmy tried again. Shushing him, Gibbs called up to the EMT's.

"Well? Did you find _something_?"

"Uh- no Agent Gibbs, but Special Agent McGee is searching. We let the fire department know too, but they can't be here for another ten minutes.

"He won't last ten more minutes."

Gibbs screeched. Ziva stood up, determined to find some way out.

"I need to speak to Special Agent DiNozzo!"

She called. The timid EMT called him back out and Tony had a look of annoyance on him.

"What Ziva?"

"I just remembered something! There was a landscraping-"

"Land-_scaping_."

Tony corrected, laughing a second.

"Fine. Land_scaping _truck parked outside. It may have a ladder!"

Tony sped out of the house, hoping he would be able to save his friend.

"Ziva, how can we carry Jimmy up a ladder? He's unconscious, he won't be able to do much of anything, and he can't climb up a ladder himself. "

"We must try Gibbs, and if not, the EMT's can come down to check him out until the firemen arrive."

Gibbs nodded as Jimmy tried speaking again.

"Gibbs, so cold here…"

"I know Jimmy, I know, we're going to get you out of here soon."

Gibbs responded, adding _I hope _in his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Tony ran out of the disheveled house and into the yard. He could see the large white van a few feet away, and he hoped that he would be able to find what they needed. He forcefully yanked on the back of the truck's doors, but they refused to open. Grabbing a long piece of metal that was lying on the ground, Tony smashed the handles of the van. After a few hard swings, the back door to the van opened, granting Tony access to a large ladder that it held inside. They had hit the jackpot. Not only had he found a ladder big enough to help them, but he had thought of a way to help lift Palmer out of the basement. Tim appeared next to him, taking one end of the ladder as they trudged back into the house, hoping they weren't too late.

* * *

><p>"Gibbs, I think Palmer is asleep again."<p>

Ziva quietly murmured. Gibbs watched the slight movement in Palmer's chest and held his breath each time it paused for a second. Ziva touched his forehead momentarily, but they were suddenly interrupted by heavy footsteps.

"Gibbs, we got a ladder!"

McGee yelled as he and Tony lowered it down. Suddenly producing a large gurney, the EMT's tied several pieces of a strong nylon rope to several places. Tony leaned into the basement, reaching up for something. McGee held onto his shirt as Tony fed the rope over a pipe in the ceiling. They wordlessly tossed the gurney into the room as they held onto the other side of the rope, giving it slack, lowering the gurney farther into the basement. They had created a simple pulley system, consisting of them pulling the rope tied to the gurney, lifting the gurney up to them. Ziva and Gibbs understood instantly as they carried Palmer onto the long gurney waiting on the ground. After securing him, they climbed up the ladder and helped Tony pull the rope back into the house. Slowly, they were able to lift Palmer up and closer to them. Swinging the gurney a small amount, they pulled it closer to the doorway and slid Jimmy into the house. The EMT's wheeled Palmer away, occasionally shouting things to each other.

"God, we were lucky."

McGee whispered. They all knew if the truck hadn't been there, Gibbs, Ziva, and Palmer would all be still stuck in the basement.

"Hey, Probie, you better find out whose truck that was they won't be happy when they see the damage we caused!"

Tony laughed. McGee shot him a look, as did Gibbs. They were still worried about Palmer.

"Who knows how long he had been left in the freezing basement. We caught Henderson almost four hours ago. That left him a long time to have stuck poor Jimmy in that basement…."

Ziva trailed off.

"He'll be fine."

Gibbs said commandingly. _He doesn't have permission to die. _He thought kindly. That was the kind of thing he said to his team, and Palmer _was _part of the team, no matter how small his job. No matter if he was in danger every day or barely ever at all. He was still on the team. Gibbs and his team found themselves running to their car, hoping to get to Bethesda soon. Ziva drove without an argument as McGee called Ducky and Abby.

"Abbs?"

"McGee, McGee, McGee! How's Jimmy? Did you find him? Where is he? Where are you? What hospital is he going to?"

"Deep breaths Abby."

Gibbs and Tony chuckled as McGee attempted to calm down the forensic scientist. A smile threatened to creep up Ziva's face as well.

"We're going to Bethesda now. Palmer's in an ambulance riding with a couple of EMT guys. He's, uh, he's breathing on his own. I don't know if he'll be awake when we get there…He was in and out of consciousness a lot when we were there."

"I'll get the Duck-man. We'll be there as soon as we can. And Timmy? How…How did he look?"

"He'll be okay Abbs."

McGee dodged the question, unsure of how to answer. Hanging up, the car filled with a silence.

* * *

><p><strong>~Palmer's POV~<strong>

He was warmer now. Or at least he thought he was. Voices were drifting all around him, shouting things. He didn't even have the strength to open his eyes. He tried catching bits of the conversation, but they were filled with medical jargon he hadn't yet learned. Or maybe he had. His thoughts were cloudy and he felt like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. He opened his eyes for a second, trying to sit up. He felt the restraints the EMT's had used, probably to keep him from shifting around in the ambulance as they drove. But Jimmy didn't think of that. He only thought of the cold basement he had been tied up in, just moments before. Struggling a bit, he weakly looked at one of the men trying to help him.

"It's okay, you're in an ambulance!"

He heard the man say, but Palmer wasn't looking at him anymore. His eyes were closing again as heard someone yell something.

"He's crashing!"

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><p><strong>~The team's POV~<strong>

Standing in the emergency room, they felt helpless. Ziva's skillful driving got them there only seconds after the EMT's arrived. They watched Palmer being wheeled into the hospital as they ran in after him. Gibbs was sitting still, as was most of the team, staring off into the direction their teammate had been taken. Ziva was moving around constantly, unable to keep still. She went for coffee twice, grabbing a Caf-Pow for Abby when she came. Only a minute later they heard frustrated rambling outside of the doors beside them.

* * *

><p>"I am Abby Scuito and I am here to see Jimmy Palmer."<p>

"And I, my dear, am Dr. Mallard. I am Jimm- Mr. Palmer's doctor."

"Alright and if you'd just wait a moment. I think you may want to sit down, this could take a while."

The nurse smiled fakely, staring at the strange woman in front of her. Abby was almost crying when Ducky spoke up.

"No we will NOT just _wait a moment_! I will see Jimmy's doctor _NOW _or I will have to call Agent Gibbs on you!"

He threatened. The nurse thought a moment. When Gibbs had come into the ER he had almost ripped off the poor woman's head when she tried to keep him back, which of course, she had failed miserably at. Going pale a second, she pressed a button, allowing Ducky and Abby access to where the rest of the team was waiting. Ducky would've laughed if not for the seriousness of the moment.

"Do we have any information on Mr. Palmer's condition?"

Ducky asked in a professional voice. When no one spoke up he walked over to a random doctor, and after a moment of hand gestures, Ducky walked back. Abby sat down next to McGee, holding his hand.

"He is dehydrated, suffering from a touch of hypothermia, is quite bruised with a few broken bones, and has sever rope burns on his chest, arms and legs. Overall, Jimmy will be fine."

The team automatically let out an audible sigh of relief.

"When can we see him?"

"Soon, my dear, soon."

Ducky patted Abby's shoulder. She smiled up at him and continued to wait. Another doctor walked over to them and cleared his throat.

"Are you all for Mr. James Palmer?"

They nodded up at the doctor and stood.

"And you're _all_ family?"

"Yes!"

They all yelled forcefully, wanting to know Jimmy's current condition. The doctor smiled at them and looked at his chart.

"All right, it seems your friend will make a full recovery after a stay at the hospital. I'm confident he will be able to go home in about three or four days."

"Can we see him?"

"Yes, of course. Two at a time please."

Abby hopped up and followed the doctor, Ducky not far behind. They entered a dark room with only the beeps of machines filling the air.

"Jimmy."

Abby whispered and took his hand in hers. Ducky walked over to him and patted his other hand. Jimmy's eyes opened a little as he tried to smile.

"Oh, hey guys."

"Jimmy! The rest of the team's outside. We were all so worried for you!"

Abby smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Abby."

He blushed. Abby giggled a little before telling him to get better soon. She left Ducky alone with Palmer as she sipped her Caf-Pow.

"Oh, Jimmy we were all quite scared for a while there. The doctor told me your heart stopped a minute on the way to the hospital, but I excluded that from the rest of the team. They were worried enough."

"So when can I get out of here?"

Ducky laughed.

"Soon, very soon. But for now, just rest. Oh, and we already caught that man, Henderson."

Patting Jimmy's hand once more, Ducky left the room as well. Palmer froze a second. He had forgotten about Henderson. He hadn't even remembered Henderson's face until now. He thought back to the time when he rescued Jessica from Henderson's wandering hands. He remembered how obsessive he became, even dropping out of school and living outside her house.

_Creep._

He thought, sending shivers down his spine.

_At least he got caught._

Recovering, Jimmy sat up taller. Gibbs and Ziva entered, hot coffee in their hands.

"Hi Jimmy. How are you?"

"Better. Thanks to you guys."

Palmer smiled and ignored the searing pain in his abdomen. Those rope burns were still hurting.

"No need to thank us Palmer."

Ziva sat at the edge of his bed, where Abby had been moments before. Gibbs stared down at him for a moment with kind eyes.

"Thanks anyway."

A doctor entered, shooing everyone away while he checked up on his patient.

_I guess I'm more a part of the team than I thought._

Palmer smiled. Truthfully, he hadn't expected anyone but Ducky and Abby to stay with him. The doctor looked at his chart and walked out, satisfied. Jimmy stared out at the door, where he could hear the rest of the team shuffling around. He closed his eyes and slept peacefully as Abby took one last peek in the room before she went back home. Her eyes shone at the sight of Palmer resting easily. She happily left, knowing her friend was finally safe.

~The End~

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><p><strong>Hope you guys liked the story! Can't wait for more feedback. <strong>

**Yay for Palmer!**

**Alyssa**


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